During interrogations he accused then Indonesian Ambassador for Colombia,
Michael Manafandu of having been paid a bribery of Rupiahs One Trillion
(approx US$ 111,100) to remove evidence from his bag, flash discs and CD's

At the time of his arrest in Colombia, Nazaruddin's bag was seized by officials and surrendered to Manufandu. However,
when the KPK obtained the bag Nazaruddin said several items containing important evidence were missing.

Nazaruddin said four cellular were also missing from the bag.
The phones contained records of conversations with top officials concerning the
SEA Games construction project graft case, he stated.

Girl power: Several women stage a rally in front of the
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday
demanding the KPK prosecute all figures implicated
in bribery involving the development of the
2011 SEA Games athlete’s village in Palembang.
(tribunnews.com)

Girls sporting shorts and t-shirts staged a rally in front of the Corruption Eradication Commission on Monday
urging legislator Angelina Sondakh to tell the truth in her testimony before the court.

Democratic Party deputy secretary general Angelina, who became famous as Miss Indonesia 2001, is now the subject
of criticism for contradictory statements, including confusion over her possession of BlackBerry devices that were
allegedly used to communicate with defendant Mindo Rosalina Manullang in the case centering on the development
of the 2011 SEA Games athlete’s village in Palembang. Angelina claimed that she did not own a BlackBerry until
late 2010. The media has challenged her by running pictures of Angelina holding a BlackBerry on various occasions
in 2009.

Angelina also denied several meetings she reportedly had with defendants, including former Democratic Party treasurer
M. Nazaruddin and several other lawmakers.

Rally coordinator Verra said that the peaceful rally was meant to urge the KPK to prosecute anyone implicated in
bribery.

“We also want to ask Mbak Angie to tell the truth,” Verra said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Girl power: Several women stage a rally in front of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday demanding
the KPK prosecute all figures implicated in bribery involving the development of the 2011 SEA Games athlete’s village
in Palembang. (tribunnews.com)

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Bribery defendant Muhammad Nazaruddin has once again incriminated Anas Urbaningrum and
Angelina Sondakh in the Hambalang project scandal. Nazaruddin said that both have been involved in setting up the
project to construct athletes’ training center in Sentul, Bogor, West Java.

“Anas coordinated everything,” said Nazaruddin at the Jakarta Anti-Graft Court (Tipikor) on Wednesday. Nazaruddin
went on that, when chairing as the Democrat Faction Chairman in 2009, Anas—currently Democrat Party Chairman—had
been making a move by holding several meeting to discuss the project. One of the parties involved in the discussion
was the Youth and Sports Ministry.

Meanwhile, Angelina’s role was to lobby Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng. Angelina, who is a member
of the House of Representatives’ (DPR) Sports Commission, made the maneuver based on Anas’ instruction. Angelina
was also allegedly responsible for distributing funds to the DPR Budget Council members through Mirwan Amir.

Nazaruddin was arrested in Colombia after disappearing on a chartered jet. FBI agents assisted in tracking down
the former Democrat Party treasurer. Police are still tracing the roles of those who arranged his much-publicized
flight.

THE Under-20 World Cup in Colombia reached the Round of 16 knockout stage, last week. Countries such as Spain,
Egypt, Australia, and the host nation had reached this round. Muhammad Nazaruddin chose Bogota, one of eight cities
where matches are being held, to watch the final-eight round. The host country faces Costa Rica in this round.

On Saturday night two weeks ago, that former treasurer of the Democrat Party was getting ready to fly from Rafael
Nunez International Airport in Cartegena. He had been staying in this city on the shores of the Caribbean for several
days. Before he could board the plane, two immigration officers stopped him. They asked this member of the Energy
Commission at the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) to show his identification.

Nazaruddin was suspected because he was carrying a passport with a different photo, in the name of Syarifuddin.
The immigration official’s computer flashed red, indicating that the identity of this young politician had matched
Interpol’s wanted list. The chief of Colombia’s judicial police, General Carlos Mena, said that Nazaruddin presented
an Indonesian passport with a different photo and name, as was reported by the Associated Press.
That night at 2:15am Colombian time, Sunday morning Western Indonesian Time, Nazaruddin was taken to the police
station. Michael Menufandu, the Indonesian Ambassador to Colombia, who had been informed by Interpol officials,
immediately flew in from Bogota. On Sunday early afternoon, Menufandu met with Nazaruddin. “He said he had been
in Cartegena for four days to hide out,” he said.

The ambassador said that Nazaruddin asked that he not be left alone. This suspect in a bribery case involving the
construction of the Athlete Accommodations for the XXVI Sea Games in Palembang handed over a black handbag for
safekeeping, containing a cellular phone and other items. At around 11pm Colombia time, Nazaruddin was flown to
Bogota and arrested. After just two days, the legal authorities turned Nazaruddin over to immigration. On Thursday
night local time, he was flown to Jakarta on a Gulfstream, a chartered jet costing Rp4 billion, which was chartered
by the Indonesian government.
A few hours later, Nazaruddin was still trying to protest to those picking him up—officials of the police department,
Corruption Eradication Commission, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He insisted that he be given a chance to
be accompanied by his lawyer. His request was denied.

Even though there was an immigration violation, the Colombian government decided to deport Nazaruddin to be put
on trial for a number of corruption-related crimes. “Colombia has often handled cases such as this, so they know
how to deal with it,” said Made Subagia, Minister Counselor at the Indonesian Embassy in Bogota.
Nazaruddin’s efforts to obtain political asylum also failed. The Colombian government did not want to be troubled
by such criminal matters, which they were afraid might disrupt relations between the two countries. Nazaruddin’s
wish to be questioned in Bogota was also turned down. In fact, he was not given a chance to meet with O.C. Kaligis,
his lawyer, who had already flown to the South American country.

According to Kaligis, Nazaruddin also attempted to hire a local lawyer from the De La Espriella office in Bogota.
Lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella had even obtained power of attorney. Written in Spanish, signed by Nazaruddin and
marked with his thumbprint, the letter was useless. Just a few hours after the letter was made, at 5:15pm, Nazaruddin
was sent home.
In Indonesia, the arrest was good news for the government. Early Monday morning, Coordinating Minister for Political,
Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto reported to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The following afternoon,
Djoko held a press conference at the State Palace, announcing the arrest. Djoko pointed out that the black handbag
which Nazaruddin had given for safekeeping had already been sealed and could not be opened by anyone.

A Palace official said that Nazaruddin’s arrest relieved a heavy burden for National Police Chief, General Timur
Pradopo and Chairman of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Sutanto. This is because Yudhoyono routinely requested
reports on the pursuit of the 32-year-old man born in Simalungun, North Sumatra. “The expression was that those
two officials were ‘under the whip’ on account of Nazaruddin,” said one Tempo source.

l l l

SINCE fleeing to Singapore a day before being banned from leaving the country by the Corruption Eradication Commission
(KPK), Nazaruddin managed to leave numerous trails. When he called Tempo, he was using a Cambodia number. Word
had it that he had traveled to Malaysia.
Police officers said that Nazaruddin’s whereabouts were detected by Interpol when he was still in the Dominican
Republic. In that country with a population of 10 million, he was able to communicate via Skype—which was then
broadcast on television. “The search team from Indonesian National Police HQ immediately flew to Argentina,” said
one police officer. “Because it was suspected that Nazaruddin was going to cross over to there.”
Two weeks after the Singapore government announced that Nazaruddin was no longer in their country, police wiretapping
equipment detected his phone signal in the area of Tanjung Balai Karimun, Riau Archipelago. However, police could
not confirm if Nazaruddin was in Singapore or Indonesia, because Tanjung Balai is an area located on the border
of the two countries.

Interpol at National Police HQ, on their website, said that they had already received information from Interpol
Colombia regarding Nazaruddin’s whereabouts on 5 August. After coordinating and meeting some requirements, an arrest
was made just two days later.
The KPK also caught on to the Nazaruddin’s presence in Colombia. Investigators at the office received news of their
fugitive’s position three days before the arrest. To pursue him, the KPK obtained assistance from investigators
from the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI, which has its office in Kuningan, Jakarta, starting a few weeks
earlier.
KPK spokesman Johan Budi S.P. declined to comment on the FBI’s involvement. He verified that Nazaruddin’s presence
in Colombia was known three days before his arrest. He said that the information on the use of a fake passport
was received by the joint team of Interpol, KPK, and National Police HQ.

Insp. Gen. Anton Bachrul Alam, Head of the Public Relations Division at National Police HQ, said that before being
arrested Nazaruddin had been to six countries, namely Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Spain, and the Dominican
Republic. He said that Nazaruddin’s whereabouts were easily traced, because he often communicated via BlackBerry
Messenger with some reporters and others in Indonesia. “Making it easy to follow his movements,” he said.
After receiving an order from President Yudhoyono to arrest Nazaruddin, last month, General Timur Pradopo formed
a team consisting of seven people. Led by Director V for Specific Crimes at the Criminal Investigation Unit, Brigadier-General
Anas Yusuf, the team was divided into three: the monitoring team, negotiation team, and search team.

The extent of the fugitive’s flight made the police suspect that someone was making the travel arrangements from
Indonesia. Moreover, the police had intercepted the communication of someone who was communicating with Nazaruddin,
talking about his flight. Refusing to mention this person’s complete identity, a senior police officer said that
this individual resides in Bogor, West Java.

l l l

NAZARUDDIN’S arrest is bad news for Syarifuddin. This 28-year-old was picked up by officers of the North Sumatra
Police Department on Jalan Alfalah, Medan, on Tuesday last week. “He was arrested for questioning in connection
with the use of his passport by another person,” said Commissioner Saptono, Head of the Vice Control Unit at the
Directorate of Criminal Investigation at the North Sumatra Police.
Syarifuddin is Nazaruddin’s cousin. “Their mothers are sisters,” said Zulkifli A.R., the lawyer who accompanied
Syarifuddin while he was questioned by police. Zulkifli said his client often met Nazaruddin in Jakarta. “They
would meet each Lebaran. But this was just a regular family visit.”

In Medan, Syarifuddin lives at the home of his uncle, Muhammad Yunus Rasyid, on Jalan Garu I, Selamat 271, Medan.
At this luxurious two-story residence built in a Middle-Eastern style, he completed his university studies while
working to help his uncle.
Yunus Rasyid, a former politician of the United Development Party and deputy speaker of the Medan regional legislative
assembly from 1999-2009, is well-respected in Medan. However, his political career went downhill after failing
to win a seat in the 2009 legislative election. Thanks to Nazaruddin’s lobbying, his nephew who was already a senior
official in the Democrat Party, Yunus switched to the Democrat Party. Now he is Assistant Secretary of the Regional
Leadership Board of the Democrat Party in North Sumatra.

How could Syarifuddin’s passport end up in Nazaruddin’s hands? Minister of Justice and Human Rights Patrialis Akbar
said that someone sent that passport abroad to Nazaruddin. However, Syarifuddin denied this. He said that his passport
went missing after he used it on 27 June after returning from Singapore.

The Class I Immigration Office of Polonia Medan, which issued Syarifuddin’s passport in 2008, notes that Syarifuddin
only used his passport twice this year. The first was on 22 May to Penang, Malaysia, for medical treatment. The
second time was to Singapore from 18-27 June.
Until Wednesday of last week, Syarifuddin’s position was still safe. “He was not arrested for lack of evidence,”
said North Sumatra Police Chief, Insp. Gen. Wisjnu Amat Sastro. However, Section Head of the North Sumatra Police,
Sr. Comr. Raden Heru Prakoso, confirmed that investigation into Syarifuddin’s involvement has not been ceased.
He said that the police are also investigating a possible role played by Yunus Rasyid. “Because Syarifuddin said
that his passport went missing at his uncle’s home,” he said.

l l l

ON arrival in Jakarta, Nazaruddin will have little time to rest. He is wanted for questioning in numerous corruption
cases which he is accused of. In addition to being a suspect in the bribery case of the construction of athlete
accommodations, he is also a witness in several graft cases at a number of cabinet ministries. The Corruption Eradication
Commission said that hundreds of companies connected with him are suspected of causing hundreds of billion of rupiah
of state losses.
The KPK has asked for the first chance to question Nazaruddin. “Even though there are cases with the police and
the Attorney General’s Office, Nazaruddin is a KPK fugitive,” said Johan Budi. “We want to be the first to question
him.”

Despite being in a heap of trouble, Nazaruddin still has a secret weapon. One police officer said that Nazaruddin
has entrusted a load of evidence with his lawyer in Singapore. According to him, even Kaligis does not have access
to those secret documents. Although he has been arrested, it could so happen that Nazaruddin will continue to attack
his former colleagues.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Foreign Affairs Ministry has yet to question Michael Manufandu, the Indonesian
ambassador to Colombia. Manufandu, who will be entering his retirement this year, has been reported to have
allegedly received bribe money from the graft suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin.

Michael Tene, the ministry’s spokesman, said that his institution had not received an official report of the case,
and, therefore, is currently unable to take any action against Manufandu. “Where did you get the report? We haven’t
received an official report regarding to this matter,” Tene told TEMPO on Monday.
Tene asserted that his ministry would not follow-up reports coming from unknown sources.
“We will not do anything until the source and evidence [related] to the report are clear.”

Manufandu’s name emerged since news broke out that Nazaruddin’s arrest in Cartagena, Colombia, on August 7.
A TEMPO source said Manufandu had promised that Nazaruddin would be able to see his family in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
on his way from Bogota, Colombia, to Jakarta.
TEMPO magazine this week mentioned that Manufandu had received US$1 million through his family in Jakarta.
The money was given the codename: ‘package’.

University of Indonesia psychologist Hamdi Muluk said Monday that high-profile graft suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin
was pretending to suffer from amnesia to avoid the legal process.
"Pretending to have amnesia has become the trend," he said on Monday. "The tactic worked for Nunun
Nurbaeti to escape the legal process."

Nunun is still a key witness in a bribery case trial surrounding the election of Miranda Goeltom as a Bank Indonesia
senior deputy governor in 2004. Nunun claimed she was unfit to testify as she suffered acute dementia. Nunun is
now a suspect and fugitive.

Hamdi said it was questionable that one begins suffering mental illnesses such as amnesia and depression as soon
as they are implicated in legal processes.
"Nazaruddin is mentally strong, having run his business and political career well. It is not plausible that
he begins suffering forgetfulness and depression at this point in time. Those mental syndromes also come in phases,
not all of a sudden," he said.

Recently captured fugitive and former Democratic Party treasurer Nazaruddin said in his second questioning at the
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) last Thursday that he had forgotten matters relating to graft surrounding
the athletes' dormitory construction project at Jakabaring, Palembang, and the accusations he had made while a
fugitive.
Nazaruddin repeatedly accused several Democratic Party politicians, fellow legislators and even KPK leaders of
being involved in graft scandals.

Graft suspect M. Nazaruddin, through his attorney O.C. Kaligis, said that Corruption Eradication (KPK) chairman
Busyro Muqoddas had met him three days before the House of Representatives selected Busyro as chairman.

Busyro was selected in November 2010 over well-known attorney Bambang Widjojanto.

According to Kaligis, Nazaruddin shared this information at the Kelapa Dua Mobile Brigade Command headquarters
in Depok, West Java, where he is being detained.

“Busyro had met Nazaruddin to request the [Democratic Party] support him as KPK chairman,” Kaligis said on Sunday,
as reported by tribunnews.com.

Nazaruddin is the former Democratic Party treasurer. He was dismissed by the party after being implicated in a
graft scandal involving the 2011 SEA Games. He has since claimed that other party officials were also involved
in the scheme.

Kaligis said that based on Nazaruddin’s account, Busyro met Nazaruddin when the latter still represented his party
in House Commission III, which was tasked with overseeing the KPK chairman selection.

“Who knew that Busyro, who was formerly a member of the Judicial Commission, which we had thought was clean, requested
help from Nazaruddin while looking for support as KPK chairman,” he said.

Kaligis further said that Commission III lawmaker M. Nasir, who is also a relative of Nazaruddin, was aware of
this testimony.

:Claiming that he had forgotten everything, graft suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin, according to his lawyer, preferred
to say nothing when grilled by investigators at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Quoting Nazaruddin, lawyer O.C. Kaligis said: "He [Nazaruddin] has said, just punish me. I will not speak
about anyone. [I will not speak] about the Democrat Party."

Nazar was grilled as a suspect for the first time on Thursday. The questioning was conducted in regard to his involvement
in the South East Asian (SEA) Games athletes’ village project bribery case after Nazaruddin managed to flee abroad,
until he was captured in Cartagena, Colombia on Aug. 7.

During the two-hour interrogation, Nazar repeatedly claimed that he had forgotten everything related to the athletes’
village project scandal in Jakabaring, Palembang. Nazar also said that he had forgotten about the all of the accusations
he had made during his time on the run.

During his 75-day sojourn abroad, Nazaruddin repeatedly accused his fellow Democrats and colleagues in the House
of Representatives (DPR) of graft, including fixing tenders for government projects in their favor. Nazar, for
instance, had mentioned that some Rp50 billion had been distributed to the Democrat Party national congress in
Bandung. The money, which was obtained as commission from the Hambalang stadium and sports complex project, was
allegedly used to secure the party chairmanship for Anas Urbaningrum.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has disregarded Muhammad Nazaruddin’s moves
to allegedly secure the future and welfare of his wife and children, by pleading with President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono.
“There’s no use requesting for [legal proceedings] of this case to be stopped,” said KPK Chief Busyro Muqoddas
at his office on Thursday. “We will ignore it [the request].”

Nazaruddin will continue to be be examined for the bribery case in the XXVI SEA Games athletes’ village project
in Jakabaring, Palembang. The antigraft commission is also investigating dozens of other projects allegedly worth
Rp6.03 trillion which Nazar and his group of companies had won.

KPK also requested the police to include Nazar’s wife, Neneng Sri Wahyuni, in the Interpol’s most wanted list despite
Nazar’s attempt to send a letter to Yudhoyono to keep the law enforcement away from the graft suspect’s wife.

Nazar promised to not implicate the Democrat Party in the cases which incriminated him if Wahyuni was protected.
Nazar was also ready to remain silent if the investigators tried to question him on other Democrat politicians’
further involvement in budget brokerage and government’s projects despite the fact that he had been making such
allegations for some time.

The KPK, despite Nazar’s ‘effort’, stated that the institution will continue investigating people who are allegedly
involved. “Whoever that person is, we will question him or her,” said KPK Deputy Chief Bibit S. Rianto.

BRENDAN TREMBATH:
In Indonesia there's intense interest in the case of a graft suspect who while on the run overseas made sensational
allegations about fellow high ranking political officials.
The high drama around the allegations and the pursuit has once again raised questions about pervasive corruption.
Helen Brown reports from Jakarta.

HELEN BROWN:
Muhammad Nazaruddin slowly pushed through a media crush as he arrived at Indonesia's anti-corruption building.
As journalists cried out to him he only answered, "don't bother my wife and kids".
Only a few weeks before the former treasurer of the dominant party in Indonesia's coalition had been on the run.

Nazaruddin, as he's called, is accused of accepting bribes worth around $US3 million in relation to the building
of an athletes' village. He was tracked down in South America after managing to only just evade a travel ban and
slipping out of the country in May. While on the run he kept Indonesians agog, holding live phone and Skype interviews
with local TV stations and accusing high-ranking officials and a minister of corruption.
Those named have denied the allegations.

The anti-corruption body says it will investigate the allegations about bribes for building the village and then
look further.
Danang Widoyoko the coordinator of Indonesia Corruption Watch says there is a budget mafia in Indonesia that uses
inside knowledge to its advantage and the claims must be investigated.

DANANG WIDOYOKO: If we can you know prosecute this case and then understanding all of the process, then we will
come to the heart of the problem of the political corruption - how the politicians, you know, can interfere in
the budgeting process, how the politician can influencing the budgeting process.

HELEN BROWN: Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission, or the KPK, says Nazaruddin is implicated in graft
in 31 projects across several government ministries.

But as far as the main suspect is concerned he's said enough. And the 32 year old is pleading for the investigation
to end with him, telling the anti-corruption body that, "I am guilty. There's no need to investigate me, just
go straight to the verdict and lock me up. No problem."
The anti-corruption body says it will investigate the allegations about bribes for building the village and then
look further.

Nazaruddin has also told journalists that he has sent a letter to the president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asking
for protection for his wife and children.
The president swept to power for a second time on a promise to stamp down on corruption but Indonesians are becoming
disillusioned.
Earlier this year a low-ranking tax official was jailed for accepting millions to help companies evade tax but
his claim about the involvement of others seems to have died away.

Many are nervous and preparing for the worst as former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin is heading
home to face justice after more than 75 days on the run.

The public at large, however, are similarly anxious to see how the runaway tale will come to an end as Nazaruddin
has, in an apparent move to fight back, leaked so many untold stories which, if true, will bring scores of top
politicians and state officials down.

Following his capture in Colombia's resort city of Cartagena on Sunday, controversy has been rife over whether
he deserves witness protection due to the information, if not secrets, he is keeping. Nazaruddin seems to hold
a lot of cards that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will have to handle with care if they are to unveil
the whole story about the corruption saga that former House of Representatives politician has built.

It comes as no surprise that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is also the Democratic Party's chief patron,
has expressed concern about Nazaruddin's safety. As have anticorruption watchdogs, who have insisted that Nazaruddin
be put in the custody of the Witness and Victim Protection Agency to keep him outside influences that might bar
him from telling the whole truth.

Nazaruddin is by no means a voluntary whistle-blower, let alone a hero, but the KPK has no choice but to start
with him in a bid to resolve the puzzling corruption cases in which he is implicated. For the sake of the corruption
crusade for which we yearn, Nazaruddin must reach home safely, and so must his bag of evidence. There would be
no excuse if the KPK and Indonesian authorities lose that bag as has happened in the past when law enforcers have
halted an investigation because evidence goes missing.

Prior to his arrest by Colombian police, Nazaruddin transferred the bag to Indonesian ambassador to Colombia Michael
Menufandu. Many believe it contains digital storage media with information on the role of the Democratic Party's
leaders in the embezzlement of state funds through government projects.

Several times Nazaruddin claimed during an interview with Indonesian media while on the run that he was in possession
of documents and video recordings that could implicate his Democratic Party colleagues, notably party chairman
Anas Urbaningrum. Nazaruddin has also named KPK senior officials Chandra Hamzah, Ade Rahardja and Johan Budi, who
have all failed to qualify in the ongoing selection of KPK leader candidates.

Of course we cannot take Nazaruddin's allegations for granted, particularly due to his poor credibility. He fooled
the public when he claimed he had never met Youth and Sports Ministry secretary Wafid Muharram, a suspect in the
SEA Games graft case, who eventually led the KPK to Nazaruddin. Later on, he sneaked unnoticed to Singapore for
what he called "medical treatment" just 24 hours before he was hit with a travel ban.

Nazaruddin's 75-day sojourn that began in Singapore is another case that may explain how the mafia operates in
our law enforcement force. It is difficult to believe he could escape the ban in the first place without help from
one or two people. Nazaruddin has said it was Anas who had asked him to hide until after a national leadership
change in 2014, but that's not enough.

Too many questions are lingering over how far Nazaruddin will go in unraveling the corruption cases centering on
him, considering his clear intent to shoot Anas down. While it is too early to predict the end of Nazaruddin's
saga, we just hope that he has a safe, if not pleasant, flight home.

By pledging silence in return for protection for his family, Muhammad Nazaruddin could deal a more severe blow
to the Democratic Party than the damning corruption allegations he has already made, according to politicians and
political analysts.
Nazaruddin’s silence, according to the deputy secretary general of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Mahfudz
Siddiq, will make it far more difficult for the ruling party to repair its damaged credibility.

“For two months the party was pounded by Nazaruddin’s accusations,” Mahfudz said.
He was referring to claims the former Democrat treasurer made that top party members were embroiled in graft and
corruption. The impact of the claims has already begun to show in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s falling
popularity.
“With Nazaruddin’s silence, they won’t recover from the situation,” Mahfudz said.
Nazaruddin’s insinuation that there’s a threat to his family will make the Democrats look even worse, said Arbi
Sanit, a political analyst from the University of Indonesia. This, he added, will be a big problem in the 2014
elections.

“If they want to convince the public that Nazaruddin’s abrupt change has nothing to do with them, the Democratic
Party should support the investigation and prove that they will do anything to fight corruption,” he said.
Cecep Effendy, a political analyst from the Indonesian Institute, said it was important for Yudhoyono to be firm
in urging Nazaruddin to reveal everything, including the party’s sources of funding.
“As party treasurer, Nazaruddin was able to do whatever it took to raise money for the party. What’s more, his
party was the ruling party, which has easy access to any ministry or state agency,” he said.
But the implications of Nazaruddin’s silence, it seems, will be limited to the political rather than the legal
process.

Bibit Samad Riyanto, a deputy at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), said he was convinced the KPK would
have enough evidence and testimony to charge Nazaruddin.
“He may say that he forgot or he doesn’t know. Urip [Tri Gunawan] was like that as well, but we managed to convict
him anyway,” he said, referring to a former prosecutor now serving a 20-year jail term for receiving a bribe.
The same theory could apply to the allegations Nazaruddin has made against Democrat officials. Mudzakir, a criminologist
from the Indonesian Islamic University (UII) in Yogyakarta, said the KPK should not rely on Nazaruddin’s statements
alone. “They have to get other evidence since his statements to the media cannot be used in court,” he said.

Amid speculation that Nazaruddin had been forced into silence, Patrialis Akbar, the justice and human rights minister,
called for calm and urged the public to take Nazaruddin’s statements with a grain of salt.
“Let’s not go too far in speculating about his statements,” Patrialis said.
The minister also criticized analysts who he said seemed to reflexively take Nazaruddin’s side.
“Many said Nazaruddin had been brainwashed by the government,” he said. “I really regret such statements. Analysts
should appreciate the government for finally arresting him.”

The KPK, eager to dispel claims by Nazaruddin’s lawyer, O.C. Kaligis, that his client was refusing to eat while
in detention for fear of being poisoned, showed a video of the suspect on Thursday.
“This is Nazaruddin when he first arrived. We can see that he ate what we gave him, heartily” KPK spokesman Johan
Budi said.
Footage from a CCTV recording showed Nazaruddin eating from a take-out box accompanied by two KPK investigators.
Kaligis had also said that Nazaruddin’s right to legal representation had been violated when Kaligis was not allowed
to visit his client in detention. The KPK countered by saying Nazaruddin hadn’t officially appointed a lawyer.
Johan played footage showing an investigator asking Nazaruddin whether he wanted to be represented by a lawyer.

“At the moment, no. Maybe later, sir,” Nazaruddin said.
Bibit said this proved the KPK had not violated Nazaruddin’s rights. “And you can see from the video that Nazaruddin
is quite relaxed being in the same room with investigators, we are not putting him under pressure,” he said.

Graft suspect and former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin wrote to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
the party’s chief patron, calling for his wife and three children to be protected.

One of Nazaruddin’s lawyers, Afrian Bondjol, said the letter was delivered to the Presidential Palace on Thursday.

“Nazaruddin dictated the letter to us when we visited him at Kelapa Dua [detention center in Depok, West Java]
yesterday. We then printed it and he signed it earlier today,” Afrian told The Jakarta Post.

The letter, a copy of which was made available to the Post, reads as follows:

Jakarta, August 18, 2011

To:
The President of the Republic of Indonesia
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
In Jakarta

I beg you to immediately send me to jail without the need for a judicial process. I am willing to be put in
prison for years as long as you promise to give material and mental peace to my family, particularly my wife and
children.
I have to explain that my wife is indeed a domestic woman who knows nothing about the affairs of the party. I also
promise that I will not disclose anything that could damage the image of the Democratic Party or the KPK, for the
sake of the nation.
Here is my letter in which I kindly ask for the help and attention of Mr. President.

Waiting journalists in the Corruption Eradication Commission shouted “We are with you Nazaruddin, don’t be afraid
to fight corruption.”

Is this a case of calling on the allegedly corrupt to “fight corruption”? I assume that what was intended was a
plea to Nazaruddin to not be afraid to repeat his allegations about others that he knows to be corrupt. Here, here.

What is clear is that conviction of those guilty of corruption seems not to be achieving any change in widespread
corruption. To the many the risks of being caught and convicted are outweighed by the potential benefits. Until
RI enacts laws which require far greater transparency and accountability, corruption will never decrease.

While “successful” corruptors are able to bribe their way through the judiciary and police and obtain light sentences,
they will not be discouraged from repeat performances or being copied by others.

Right now the next generation of corrupt politicians and senior bureaucrats are undertaking their apprenticeship
and learning how to embezzle the people’s money without getting caught. They have not been discouraged by the steady
stream of the corrupt heading to jail.

But with so many lawmakers believed to be corrupt, we can’t expect them to enact legal reform to increase accountability
and transparency to prevent ongoing corruption in government.

The Nazaruddin case promises to keep us entertained for a few more months, but unless there is political leadership
to deal more effectively in addressing corruption, the Nazaruddin case will be just another act in the ongoing
circus of corruption in Indonesia.

A legislator from the ruling Democratic Party, Ruhut Sitompul, said that the party did not need to bargain with
captured graft fugitive Muhammad Nazaruddin.

Nazaruddin has said that he will not disclose any corruption scandals involving the party's members unless his
wife, who is currently overseas, is protected.

"Anyone related to corruption, including wives, must be punished. To Nazaruddin, we don't need your bargaining.
You have hurt the party," Ruhut said on Thursday.

"Nazaruddin can disclose anything and we won't protect any member involved in corruption scandals as long
as there is evidence.
Nazaruddin don't try to touch our hearts, you have destroyed the Democratic Party's image," Ruhut said.

Nazaruddin, a former treasurer of the Democratic party and a suspect in a corruption scandal linked to the construction
of an athletes' dormitory for the 2011 SEA Games, has frequently alleged that other members of the party, including
chairman Anas Urbaningrum, were involved in several corruption cases. Nazaruddin made the allegations while hiding
abroad as a fugitive to escape persecution for his role in the SEA Games case.

After being brought back from Colombia by Indonesian authorities recently, Nazaruddin said that he would not shed
any more light on corruption unless his wife, Neneng Sri Wahyuni, was guaranteed protection.

Neneng, who is also a suspect in a corruption case linked to the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, allegedly
accompanied Nazaruddin during his travels overseas. However, Neneng was not seen when Nazaruddin was escorted back
home. (rcf)

Accused Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum answered the Corruption Eradication Commission’s summons
on Tuesday, asserting his innocence.
Anas said he came to the commission (KPK) in order to clarify the accusations made against him by graft suspect
Muhammad Nazaruddin.

After over 90 minutes of questioning from the anti-graft agency’s ethics committee, Anas came out to make his statement
to the hovering reporters.
“The committee asked if I had ever violated the ethics code by having a meeting with KPK’s leaders and I said 'no,
I haven’t'.”

Anas was accompanied by a number of other Democrat politicians including Benny K. Harman, I Gede Pasek, Denny Kailimang
and Hinca Panjaitan.
Speaking to the reporters, Benny said the party was not worried by the KPK’s summons.

He flew to Singapore and Colombia, to meet Muhammad Nazaruddin, but apparently there were still questions on
Monday as to whether high-profile lawyer O.C. Kaligis was indeed the graft suspect’s attorney.
On Sunday, Kaligis complained that even though he was a legal representative of Nazaruddin, he was denied access
at the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) penitentiary in Depok, West Java and not allowed to see his client.
Even when he flew to the Colombian capital, Bogota, after Nazaruddin’s arrest, Kaligis said the Indonesian ambassador
denied him access to his client.

But according to Johan Budi, the spokesman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Nazaruddin had not legally
appointed Kaligis as his lawyer.
“Kaligis does have a letter, but the letter was not signed by Nazaruddin,” Johan said on Monday morning. “Nazaruddin
has not yet decided which lawyer will represent him.”
Johan denied the KPK was intervening in Nazaruddin’s choice of lawyer.

“Nazaruddin is free to decide. If he has a problem with finances and cannot pay, then the state will provide a
lawyer for him.”
Johan also rejected allegations the KPK had banned people from visiting the disgraced lawmaker.
“We’re trying to protect his safety, nothing else,” he said. “Nazaruddin gave us the names of five or six people
who are allowed to visit him and all of them are family. He does not wish to meet anyone else.”

The runaround ended on Monday afternoon when Kaligis, along with a number of lawmakers — none of them Democrats
besides Nazaruddin’s cousin, M. Nasir — were allowed a 15-minute meeting with the suspect in the Brimob lockup.
Speaking earlier during a meeting with House of Representatives leaders in Senayan, an angry Kaligis said he was
the main legal representative for Nazaruddin, and any claims otherwise were incorrect. “The president will surely
be very angry if he finds out about this. I will write a letter to the president,” he said.

The lawyer also stated that he did not understand why the investigators didn’t allow him to meet Nazaruddin and
give legal advice to his client.
“I am not a politician, I just want to defend Nazaruddin. I don’t know about [deals] with political parties, but
I want these all to be revealed,” he said, claiming that since the beginning Nazaruddin’s case had been manipulated.

A number of questions had been raised over the past few days about the unusual manner by which Nazaruddin was brought
home from Bogota, and his lack of access to legal advice.
Fahri Hamzah, deputy chairman of House Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, said on Monday that he suspected
a KPK plot to save certain people from involvement in the case.
The first signal, said Fahri, was Nazaruddin’s transfer from Colombia by chartered jet, which he said was arguably
lacking transparency. The second sign, he said, was Nazaruddin’s isolation from family and legal advisors. “The
game to fabricate the case has begun,” the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) lawmaker said.

Meanwhile, Indonesia Corruption Watch coordinator Danang Widoyoko suggested Kaligis could be playing a political
game himself.
The antigraft activist questioned why the lawyer sought to be accompanied by several lawmakers to the prison to
meet Nazaruddin, and added that it raised suspicions that these figures might intervene in the case.
Danang said it was not only Democrat members who had an interest in silencing Nazaruddin’s accusations, but that
there were also lawmakers from other parties who were involved in projects with Nazaruddin.
“Because if all Nazaruddin’s cases were revealed, that would also threaten other corrupt lawmakers,” Danang said.

Muhammad Nazaruddin’s lawyer has expressed concerns for his client’s life, since he has not been allowed to
meet with the disgraced politician.

On Monday, senior lawyer O.C. Kaligis sought support from the leaders of the House of Representatives to help him
gain access to his client.
Kaligis said he did not understand why investigators would not allow him to meet with his client and give him legal
advice.
He emphasized as the main legal representative for Nazaruddin the law stated he has the right to assist him.

Kaligis said the graft suspect’s case had been manipulated from the start, but he himself is not a politician and
so knew nothing about any political party deals. “I just want to defend Nazaruddin,” he said.
“But I want all deals to be revealed.” Kaligis added he was going to write to the president. “He will be very angry
if he knows about this.”
He added Nazaruddin was so afraid for his life he had refused to eat anything. “He is afraid that he is going to
be poisoned. [Muhammad] Nasir told me.” Nasir, Nazaruddin’s cousin and a Democrat lawmaker, who accompanied Kaligis
at the House, said the family was very worried about the graft suspect’s condition.

He had only managed to meet with Nazaruddin before he was brought to the KPK. “It was a very short meeting,” Nasir
said. “He asked for a doctor but when the doctor got there, he was afraid [to meet the doctor]. He was given food,
but then he was afraid to take it.”
Kaligis added his client was also concerned about his wife's safety. “Which is why I will be bringing Neneng [Nazaruddin's
wife] home to Indonesia soon.”

Several lawmakers allegedly took bribes from a firm run by Muhammad Nazaruddin to jury-rig the awarding of a Rp
191.6 billion (US$22.4 million) construction project, according to the former Democratic Party treasurer’s aide.

Nazaruddin’s former employee, Yulianis, told judges presiding over the trial of Mohammad El Idris at the Corruption
Court in Jakarta that lawmakers were paid Rp 9 billion in “success fees”, representing about five percent of the
project’s value.
“I recorded the disbursement of the fees in April last year. It was before the tender began,” Yulianis, who was
clad in a traditional black Muslim robe (abaya) and a veil for safety reasons, said.

El Idris, the marketing manager of PT Duta Graha Indah (DGI), which was awarded the contract, and another Nazaruddin
aide, Mindo Rosalina Manulang, have been accused of allegedly bribing Youth and Sports Ministry secretary Wafid
Muharram to win the contract to build the athletes’ village for the Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, South Sumatra.

Yulianis said that she knew the details of the allocations due to her position as the deputy finance director of
Nazaruddin’s company, the Permai Group.
“I knew all of the financial transactions, including the success fees,” she said, declining to disclose the recipients.

When the panel of judges questioned her further, Yulianis took several minutes before answering. “I do not know
the names. Bu Rosa [Rosalina] just said the money should be sent to the House of Representatives.”
Presiding judge Suwidya pushed Yulianis to name the legislators, saying that she was “protected by law and should
not be afraid to name names”.

Yulianis, again, declined to answer the judges directly. “Bu Rosa knows the situation better.”
Yulianis, who appeared calm while testifying, said that the company had paid out the money starting in April 2010.
“It was before the tender process [for the project] began. The money was used to make sure PT Duta Graha Indah
won the project.”

She said the company allocated US$1.1 million and hundreds of millions of rupiahs “to secure the project”, and
the so-called “success fees” paid to House members was part of the budget. “The number might have been higher than
5 percent because we had allocated so much money.”

She said the disbursement had been gradual. “The amounts might have been Rp 500 million, Rp 100 million or Rp 50
million,” she said.
“The dollars went to Nazaruddin and the rupiah went to Rosa. That’s all I know,” she said.
Yulianis said that Neneng Sri Wahyuni, Nazaruddin’s wife, knew the details of the company’s financial transactions.
“None of Nazaruddin’s family members were legally listed as company executives. However, Bu Neneng knew about all
the transactions because we needed her approval before disbursing the money.”

All the documents, checks, and cash used to pay the bribes were allegedly kept in three deposit boxes in Neneng’s
room, Yulianis said.
The graft case has put the House under public scrutiny for allegations that lawmakers frequently illicitly broker
the awarding of government contracts.
Dedi Suwanda Gumelar, a member of House Commission X overseeing sports, denied that there had been discussions
of success fees.

“I don’t know if individual members took bribes but [success fees] were never officially discussed in the commission,”
Dedi Suwanda Gumelar, a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said. (lfr)

The graft case linking errant Democrat lawmaker Muhammad Nazaruddin to corruption surrounding the construction
of the athletes’ village in Palembang for November’s Southeast Asian Games has gripped the nation's attention for
three months now.

The case started with the arrest of Nazaruddin's assistant, Mindo Rosalina Manulang, at the lawmaker's company,
Anak Negeri, in April. Also arrested were Sports Ministry secretary Wafid Muharam and Muhammad El Idris, an executive
from private construction firm Duta Graha Indah, which had won the contract to build the athletes’ village in Palembang,
South Sumatra.
Envelopes full of cash in different currencies were found inside Wafid’s office, and Rp 3.2 billion ($375,000)
in checks from Duta Graha to Wafid were also seized.

In the days following the arrest, Rosalina's lawyer, Kamaruddin Simanjuntak, alleged that Nazaruddin took Rp 25
billion for mediating between the government and the winning contractor, and that Democrat legislator Angelina
Sondakh took a 13 percent cut to provide kickbacks for her colleagues at the House of Representatives’ Commission
X, overseeing sports and youth affairs.

April 29: Rosalina withdrew her statement, saying that it was made by Kamaruddin and she did not have any knowledge
about it. She fired the lawyer the next day.

May 10: The Democratic Party questioned Nazaruddin and Angelina. The party said they did not find any evidence
to support Rosalina's claims about the lawmakers' involvement in the graft.

May 23: Nazaruddin left Indonesia to allegedly seek medical treatment in Singapore for a heart condition. House
Speaker and Democrat Marzuki Alie said the party knew and had given him permission to leave.

May 24: Immigration officials imposed a travel ban on Nazaruddin, hours after he boarded a flight to Singapore.

June 1: Nazaruddin wrote on a personal blog that accusations toward him were "part of a big scenario to bring
down the party." The blog was taken off the Internet shortly thereafter.

The month of June also saw Nazaruddin accusing Democrat officials of being party to bribery case, claiming they
had knowledge of the graft and had received portions of the money.

June 30: The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Nazaruddin as a suspect in the Sea Games graft case.

July 4: The KPK sent a request to the Immigration Office to revoke Nazaruddin's passport which would render him
stateless, and thus any country he was found in would have to deport him.

July 5: The Singapore government announced that the Democratic lawmaker was no longer in Singapore, and had left
weeks earlier. A spokesman for the country's Foreign Ministry also alleged that Indonesian authorities had been
informed of Nazaruddin's departure.